Distal end cutter

ABSTRACT

AN IMPROVED ORTHODONTIC PINCER-TYPE TOOL IS PROVIDED FOR CUTTING THE END FROM AN ARCH WIRE WITHIN THE MOUTH OF THE PATIENT DISTALLY OF THE BUCCAL TUBE. THE TOOL IS CONSTRUCTED SO AS TO BE EASILY MANIPULATED TO CUT THE DISTAL ENDS OFF THE ARCH WIRE, WITHOUT ANY TENDENCY FOR THE CUT-OFF ENDS TO THE PROJECTED FORCIBLY INTO THE GUM OR CHECK TISSUE OF THE PATIENT.

June '1,- 1971 w. A. SNEAD DISTAL END CUTTER 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Oct. 29, 1969 4/64 Jd/re [Uri/V70, If 4/ 4-J 4r Awa June 1, 1971 w. A. SNEAD 3,581,400

DISTAL' END CUTTER Filed Oct. 29, 1969 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 United States Patent O 3,581,400 DISTAL END CUTTER Wilford A. Snead, West Covina, Califi, assignor to Ormco Corporation, Glendora, Calif. Filed Oct. 29, 1969, Ser. No. 875,616 Int. Cl. A61c 7/00 US. Cl. 32-66 4 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE An improved orthodontic pincer-type tool is provided for cutting the end from an arch wire within the mouth of the patient distally of the buccal tube. The tool is constructed so as to be easily manipulated to cut the distal ends off the arch wire, without any tendency for the cut-E ends to be projected forcibly into the gum or check tissue of the patient.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Orthodontic procedures often include the intercoupling of the bands around the individual teeth of the patient by an arch wire. It is usually necessary to cut ofi the distal ends of the arch wire after it has been mounted in the mouth of the patient, so that the arch wire ends will not pierce the gums or cheeks of the patient.

However, the cutting of the distal ends of the arch wires has created problems in that a suitable tool must be provided, not only to cut off the distal ends of the arch wire without excessively awkward manipulations, but one which will not have a tendency to shoot the cut-off distal ends of the arch wire into the gum or cheek tissue of the patient.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION A pincer-like tool is provided for cutting off the distal ends of an arch wire within the mouth of the patient, the jaws of the tool defining a mating tongue and channel combination which serves to cut off the ends of the arch wires, and which also serve to clamp the cut-off ends securely so as to prevent their being projected forcibly into the adjacent tissue of the patient.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a schematic representation of the teeth of a patient intercoupled by an arch wire, and showing the manner in which the distal end of the arch wire may be cut ofi by a pincer-like distal end cutter tool constructed in accordance with the concepts of the invention;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary schematic representation showing the manner in which the jaws of the pincerlike tool clamp the cut-off end of the arch wire after it has been cut;

FIG. 3 is a plan view of an orthodontic pincer-like distal end cutter tool constructed in accordance with the concepts of the invention;

FIG. 4 is an enlarged plan fragmentary representation of the jaw portion of the tool of FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a side view of the jaw section of FIG. 4, taken along the line 55 of FIG. 4;

FIGS. 6A and 6B are cross-sectional representations of the jaw section taken along the line 6-6 of FIG. 5, and with the jaws in two different positions;

FIG. 7 is a bottom view of the jaw section of FIG. 5 taken along the line 7-7 of FIG. 5; and

FIG. 8 is an end view of the jaw section of FIG. 5 taken along the line 8-8 of FIG. 8.

3,581,400 Patented June I, 1971 As shown in FIG. 1, the teeth 10 of a patient may be surrounded by individual bands 12, and all the bands may be coupled together by means, for example, of an arch wire 14, all in accordance with standard procedures. The arch wire 14 normally has distal ends 14a which extend beyond the buccal tube in the distal direction. It is desirable that the ends 14a be clipped oil, so that there is no tendency for them to pierce the gums or inner cheek tissue of the patient.

The ends 14a may be cut off conveniently by the pincerlike distal end cutter tool of the present invention as designated 20 in FIG. 1. The tool 20 is grasped in the hand of the orthodontist, and is inserted into the mouth of the patient in the position shown in FIG. 1. The distal end 14a of the arch wire extends across the end section of the jaws of the tool 20, which end section projects out from the plane of the remaining portion of the tool for convenience of manipulation, as shown in FIG. 1.

The jaws of the tool 20 are designated 22 and 24 in FIGS. 1 and 2, and it will be observed that a channel 22a is defined in the face of the jaw 22 and extends across the face and up the protruding end section, as will be described in more detail subsequently. Likewise, the jaw 24 defines a tongue 24a which extends across the face of the latter jaw and along the protruding end section. The tongue 24a is positioned to extend into the channel 22a when the handle sections 28 and 30 (FIG. 3) of the tool are squeezed together.

As shown in FIG. 6A, for example, the height of the tongue 24a is less than the depth of the channel 22a so that when the tool is operated to cut the end section 14a from the remaining part of the wire 14, as shown in FIG. 2, the cut-off end 14a is held securely in the tool, during the cutting operation and until the jaws are opened, so that there is no tendency for the cut-off end to be shot into the gum or cheek tissue of the patient. The tongue 24a and channel 22a are defined cutting edges which are mutually engaged during the operation of the tool to sever the distal end 14a from the remaining part of the wire 14.

As best shown in FIG. 5, for example, the end sections of the jaws 22 and 24 extend out from the plane of the remaining portions of the jaw section, and the channel 22a (shown in FIG. 5) together with the mating tongue 24a extend along the protruding sections to the extremities of the jaw, as shown in FIG. 8. Therefore, with the configuration shown, for example, the distal end cutter tool may be held in the position shown in FIG. 1, so that the distal end of the arch wire extends across the channel 22a of the protruding section of the jaw 22, and when the handles 28 and 30 are squeezed together, the tongue 24a enters the channel 22a and the mating cutting edges cause the end 1411 to be cut oil? from the remaining part of the arch wire 14.

However, the configuration is such that the cut-otf end is clamped between the jaws, as shown in FIG. 2, so that there is no tendency for it to shoot out and into the tissue of the patient. Also, the configuration of the channel 22a and tongue 24a is such that a. smooth burrless end is provided on the remaining part of the wire 14.

The tool may be formed, for example, of SAE 4063 steel. The jaws may be heat treated to Rockwell of C40- C45; and the cutting edges may be induction hardened to to a Rockwell of C-C62, with a minimum depth of .015 inch.

The invention provides, therefore, a simple and effective pincer-like distal end cutter tool for conveniently cutting the distal ends from the arch wire within the mouth of the patient, this being achieved simply and expeditiously by the orthodontist, and without any possibility of injury to the patient.

What is claimed is: 1. A pincer-like distal end cutter tool for an arch wire, or the like, including:

a first member defining a first forward jaw section and a first rearward handle section; and

a second member defining a second forward jaw section and a second rearward handle section and hinged to said first member in a pincer-like relationship for mutual pivotal movement in uniplanar relationship; said first jaw section having a forward portion extending up out of the plane of said first member at an angle thereto and defining a channel extending longitudinally along the face of said forward portion, and said second jaw section having a forward portion extending up out of the plane of said second member at an angle thereto and defining a cutting member adjacent said channel, the edges of said channel and of said cutting member defining mutually related cutting edges for the end of an arch wire for sever- 4 ing said end when said handle sections are squeezed together.

2. The distal end cutter tool defined in claim 1, in which said forward portion of said second jaw section defines a tongue extending longitudinally along the face thereof as said cutting member, said tongue being positioned to enter said channel in said first jaw section when the aforesaid handle sections are squeezed together.

3. The distal end cutter tool defined in claim 2, in which the depth of said channel is greated than the height of said tongue so that the faces of said jaws serve to clamp and hold the end of the arch wire cut by said cutting edges during the operation of said cutter.

4. The distal end cutter tool defined in claim 2, in which said channel and said tongue extend along the respective forward portions of said jaws to the extremities thereof.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,954,606 10/1960 Peak 32-66 FOREIGN PATENTS 119,234 10/1930 Austria.

ROBERT PESHOCK, Primary Examiner 

